Into The Past
by firstlast
Summary: "When it's all said and done, the past is all you're ever gonna really have." An AU set in the world of The Great Gatsby.
1. 100 Bill

Chapter One

"100$ Bill"

* * *

December was a month of low temperatures and biting winds, and although this had never bothered Kenzi Balikov to any large extent, it was one of the things that made traveling even more draining that it already was. She had never cared much for traveling, or physical movement in general, but that was irrelevant because _this_ year was unique to any other. This year, she was making her way to the grand city of New York to spend the remaining days of 1922 with her oldest and dearest friend in the world, Bo McCorrigan.

So she sat bundled up in layers of clothing approaching double digits, in a genuine New York City taxi with butterflies swarming in her stomach. Looking out of the frosty window, she took in the sights of the city with a subtle sense of wonder. She saw buildings and cars, stores and signs and so, so many lights. But the sheer number of people was what truly made her eyes sparkle and her smile widen. She had never, in her short twenty three years of life, seen so many people. There were men, women, children, and even a dog or two. Their faces all held the same look of tired contentment; as if they knew that they were more fortunate than the average person but were too apathetic to really acknowledge the fact. Kenzi, who had grown up poor in an orphanage just outside the city of Toronto, Canada, couldn't quite find it in herself to be sufficiently understanding of this reality. Her smile only faltered slightly as she silently wished, not for the first time, that people were less self-absorbed and willingly oblivious.

Flexing her double-gloved hands around a paper cup of coffee, Kenzi continued her people watching only vaguely aware of the talk radio coming from the front of the cab in low volumes. Her icy blue eyes swept across person after person. They appeared to her in the same way bricks in a wall did- individual parts of a larger overall creation. Granted, people were a lot more diverse than a bunch of cinderblocks, and so she was enjoying being witness to such a vast range of folks. Some clutched a funny number of shopping bags, some a cup of coffee or a wrinkled map, and others-and these people were her favorite to see-clutched the hand of a person deemed significant to their hearts.

Eventually, as the cab neared the address Kenzi had given the driver, the sights and sounds of the bustling city lessened and slowly transformed into something else entirely. Instead of people, her sight was filled to the brim with vast estates, properties so lavish looking that she felt out of place and even a tiny bit shortchanged at being subject to living in a run down orphanage for most of her life. House upon house appeared and faded away, leaving Kenzi the slightest bit overwhelmed.

She knew that Bo lived in a neighborhood of affluence; she just hadn't understood _how_ affluent it really was.

"Miss?"

Kenzi tore her eyes away from the window, slightly startled by the cab driver's voice addressing her.

"Uh, yeah?" She asked nervously, realizing that the cab had stopped. She was suddenly feeling wary at the idea of exiting the warm safety of the yellow car. The driver, with kind but tired eyes, smiled tentatively at the girl.

"The address ya gave me, this is the place," he told her. Kenzi's eyes widened almost comically and she looked around for her wallet, which she knew to be in a pocket of one of the several jackets she had piled onto her small frame.

"How much do I owe ya, cabbie?" She breathed out once her hand wrapped around the familiar softness of her perpetually thin wallet. The man glanced at the meter and then back at Kenzi.

"Eleven dollars even," he answered. Nodding, Kenzi pulled out a ten and a five from her the billfold of the wallet and handed him the money.

"Keep the change, bud," she muttered. He smiled wider and tucked the bills away before speaking again.

"Do you need help with your bags, miss?" Shrugging, Kenzi found herself nodding.

"Thanks."

* * *

As she stood in front of the house with a great pile of bags next to her, only vaguely registering the fading roar of the cab's engine as it drove off, Kenzi couldn't seem to keep her jaw off of the ground. She gaped at what she assumed to be Bo's house. None of the words stored in her usually colorful vocabulary seemed sufficient in describing the place. It was...huge, yes, but in a way that seemed more for show than functionality. It seemed to be a common trait among the residents in this part of town. Although Kenzi couldn't be completely sure that she was still _in_ said town, as this place felt like a different world entirely.

"Alright, you can do this," she affirmed to herself, nodding firmly. Making her way to the front door, she knocked firmly and then waited with bated breath. Only a few moments later did the door swing open and Kenzi was greeted with a colossal hug that warmed her to the bone.

"Kenzi!" She heard excitedly squealed into her ear. Smiling as widely as her face could manage, she squeezed the body in her arms tightly.

"Hiya, Bo-Bo," she responded, joy clearly evident in her voice. The two women, each overcome with a rush of affection for the other, stood in the doorway for another moment before releasing one another, though they still stood close.

"I've missed you, Kenz. I can't believe you're here! How long has it been? Ten years? Fifteen? Thirty-five?" Bo asked playfully. Kenzi rolled her eyes but kept smiling brightly.

"Calm your perfect tits, Succubabe. It's only been a year and a half," she informed her friend. Her friend, who Kenzi couldn't help but notice, looked decidedly different than she had the last time they had been in physical contact. Bo looked just as beautiful as she ever did, which left Kenzi feeling not at all surprised. She also seemed to dress a bit more conservatively than she had in the past, and her overall demeanor held a sort of control that Kenzi was wholly unused to. Bo's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Well, it felt like more. Come on in, Kenz. I'll have Dyson get all your bags. I'm sure one of them is filled with nothing but shoes, right?" Bo spoke affectionately, happier than she had been a long time. Kenzi only smiled wickedly in response before entering the toasty warmth of the house.

"Your house is huge, BoBo. I got lost on the way back here," Kenzi announced to her friend dramatically before stopping in the living room where Bo was lounging. She had just finished setting her bags down in one of the many guest rooms, and had again felt just the slightest bit overwhelmed by the sprawling hallways and numerous heavy wooden doors. Looking around the living area, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of repulsion at the sheer decadence. Every last thing in the house, from the paintings to the door hinges, appeared to cost more than her entire life savings. This room was no exception, with the fair amount of pricey furniture set up, some atop a lavish rug that Kenzi would guess to be from a country she had never heard of. The walls were painted different shades of deep red and creamy ivory, and the floors were made of the shiniest wood Kenzi had ever seen. She fleetingly thought of her own small home back in Canada, missing the comfort just a tiny bit.

Bo, seeing the look of hesitance on Kenzi's face, patted the space on the couch next to her.

"Come here, I want the rundown on all things Kenzi," the brunette requested genuinely. Kenzi in turn smiled, her face warm, and plopped down next to her dear friend.

"Okay, lay it on me, drunken adventures and all," Bo teased.

"Are you sure you can handle it? It's a tale of glitz and glam, I'm tellin' ya," the smaller woman answered, her tone as mirthful as a street magician fooling a drunkard. Bo only punched her shoulder playfully before gesturing for Kenzi to go on. Clearing her throat in a theatrical fashion, Kenzi proceeded to relay the last eighteen months of her life to the other brunette.

"Well, after you moved away to this land of riches with dogboy, I found a cheap little place near St. Mary's. You should've seen me, Bo-buddy. I actually had a straight job at a diner for a few months," she recalled. Bo looked slightly perturbed at that, if not a bit impressed. Kenzi smirked and went on.

"Then, one day, I met this guy, Vex, and he started telling me about that Prohibition thing you guys have got going here in the States. So now, me and him sell liquor to wee little Americans who can't find their good friend Jack Daniels in the old grocery stores anymore," she told Bo proudly. Alcohol had always been a vice near and dear to her heart, and though she saw Prohibition as the world's biggest joke, she couldn't squelch the satisfaction she would feel after selling a few dozen bottles on the black market. It was a risky way to make a living, but she did what she had to.

"Wow. You're the same tiny little criminal I grew up with, you know that?" Bo spoke with a grin. Kenzi only smiled smugly in response.

"So, how's the love life? Are you still with Nate?" Bo asked curiously. For the first time since the start of the conversation, the younger woman's smile dimmed. Hearing her ex's name stung her heart. She and Nate had been childhood sweethearts. Only two years Kenzi's senior, he had grown up with her and Bo in St. Mary's, a home for troubled youth, and as the three entered their teens, the two had developed sizable crushes on each other. After a drunken confession at a birthday party Bo had thrown for her when she turned seventeen, the two had finally gotten together. And they had stayed that way happily, up until about eight months after Bo left for New York.

"Uh, no. We're not," she revealed in a tone that was simultaneously accepting and morose. Bo furrowed her brow in total confusion.

"What? What the hell happened?" She asked, surprise coloring every syllable.

"There were some…complications…with one of my buyers. One of the bigger, crazier ones. A lot of shit went down, and he decided that he couldn't handle my job. He said he wanted me to get out of the biz and stay at home, or he was gonna leave. So…I let him. I love him, I do. But I don't take orders from anybody, boyfriend or not," she explained with a shrug. It still hurt to think of the man, and she suspected that it always would to a certain degree. But Kenzi had been a sort of free spirit since birth, full of mischief and rebellion. She figured that it was one of the reasons she and Nate had always fit so well.

Where she was loud and unapologetic, he was quiet and careful. The two were opposites in the best ways, and she would be lying if she said she missed him with anything less than her entire being. But she wasn't built to be submissive, and when he had given her that fateful ultimatum, she didn't think on it for even one minute. She had let him go, and though it still hurt like a son of a bitch, she took comfort in knowing that she had done the right thing for herself.

"I'm sorry. When did you guys…you know," Bo asked, a bit glum. Nate and Kenzi had always been a source of optimism for her, especially while growing up at the group home.

"About eight months after you left," the smaller woman answered softly. Bo only clenched her jaw and nodded, knowing that Kenzi didn't want to be coddled, just listened to. She watched as Kenzi quickly gathered herself to smile slyly at her.

"So, enough of the weepy stuff. How are _you_? I see you're still with Dyson, though I will never understand why," she remarked with a roll of her eyes. Bo shot her a vaguely disapproving look before answering.

"I'm great. Me and Dyson…we're great," she informed Kenzi, who couldn't help noticing a lack of enthusiasm in her friend's words.

"He's such a pill, though," Kenzi muttered. It was Bo's turn to roll her eyes.

"Why do you say things like that about him? He doesn't say anything about you, you know," Bo admonished the smaller woman. Kenzi huffed slightly.

"I know he doesn't, not directly anyway. But you can't deny that he's an ass about me being human. He walks around like he deserves a friggin' medal for tolerating my presence. It's condescending, Bo," she fumed. Upon first meeting the wolf shifter, Kenzi had picked up on the subtle arrogance oozing from every pore of the man's body. While he was never outright rude to her, he always treated her as if she was more of a novelty than a person. It grated on her nerves terribly.

"He's just…he's old fae, Kenz. Sometimes it gets to his head, that's all," Bo half-heartedly defended the wolf. She was well aware that Kenzi was right about Dyson's attitude, but she had long since given up on trying to change his view. Nothing ever resulted from her efforts other than loud arguments and angry glares.

"Yeah, whatever. Where is the flea bag, anyway?" Kenzi asked, not having seen him since he retrieved her bags upon her arrival an hour or so ago. Bo simply shrugged.

"He had a case. Something important for the Ash, I think," she supplied. The truth was, she had only been half-listening to him when he had told her where he was heading off to. She was too excited about having Kenzi to spend time with.

"He still works for that guy?" Kenzi asked.

"Sometimes, now he's mostly working for Trick," Bo answered.

"So how did you guys pay for this swanky mansion, then? I mean, I feel like I'm in a palace, Bo-bear," Kenzi asked, winking playfully. Bo smiled, though it was laced with something Kenzi couldn't quite identify.

"Trick is the Blood King, remember? He has Dyson working as his right hand man now," she answered. Kenzi snorted.

"And the position means big money apparently, eh?" She guessed. Bo nodded.

"Gramps is pretty generous with us," she admitted. Kenzi sighed internally, feeling a slight disconnect from both her surroundings and her friend. The Bo she had grown up with would probably find this entire neighborhood to be over the top and downright pretentious. Upon the thought, she felt her dislike for Dyson grow.

"So, how long are you staying? I'd prefer forever, but I know how much you love Toronto," Bo spoke, hope underlying her every word. She had really missed Kenzi, and she wasn't even trying to downplay the fact.

"You're stuck with me until the new year, succubum. I uh, I was actually thinking of looking around, seeing if I could find a small place to move into. Toronto is great, but I need a change," Kenzi confessed, eager to see Bo's reaction. The other brunette did not disappoint. Her eyes widened and a smile so wide it looked painful graced her features. She looked radiant.

"Really?! That's great! But why the sudden change?" Bo asked, knowing that there must be a reason behind Kenzi's wish to relocate. Kenzi simply shrugged and looked at her hands.

"I just…you're gone, and me and Nate didn't work out. I need a clean slate, you know? Plus, I have a job lined up down here with one of mine and Vex's buddies. Have you ever had moonshine, dollface?" Kenzi waggled her eyebrows in mock suggestion. Bo laughed and leaned over to hug her tightly.

"Just don't get caught, Kenz. You're too little for the big house," she joked. Kenzi feigned offense, puffing up her chest comically.

"I'd be the big cheese and you know it," she played along. The two dissolved into giggles.

"Come on, tough guy. Let's get you fed," Bo decided, rising from the couch to show Kenzi to the kitchen.

"If you insist," Kenzi teased, suddenly feeling famished. She may have been feeling a bit conflicted about Bo's new digs, but rich people food? Now that was one thing she definitely didn't have a problem with.

* * *

"I should've guessed that you two own a boat," Kenzi mumbled lowly, gaping at a pristine ivory sailboat floating gently at the end of the dock that her, Bo, Dyson, and Trick were standing on. After spending the rest of the previous day catching up and enjoying some bootleg wine that Kenzi had smuggled into her baggage, the small woman had been woken up this fine morning by an excited Bo. Bo, who had apparently developed a fondness for sailing super fancy boats, wanted to take her out on the water. Kenzi had actually been quite excited about it, and even Dyson's frustrating presence couldn't knock her mood down too much.

"It's fun, I promise," Bo swore, gently bumping Kenzi's shoulder with her own. Kenzi opened her mouth to respond, but a deep voice cut her off before she could utter a sound.

"Bo, are you and your friend ready?" Kenzi rolled her eyes and turned to Dyson, who had walked up behind Bo to wrap an arm around her waist. She smiled tightly at the man.

"I do have a name, dog boy. And I'm pretty sure you know what that name is," she drawled sarcastically, barely able to keep the venom from her voice. Dyson arched an eyebrow and smiled calmly.

"I didn't mean anything by it," he told her. The wolf truly hadn't meant to offend the young human, but he didn't feel the need to differentiate between her and any other human he had ever encountered. As far as he was concerned, they were inferior to the fae, and so he put no real value on them at all. Although, he did pride himself on not actively hating them as most fae did.

"How about we hop on the boat? Babe, where's Trick?" Bo cut in, intent on diffusing the situation. She knew Kenzi, and she knew Dyson. An argument between the two would get out of hand and she didn't want today to turn into a verbal smackdown.

"He's parking the car," Dyson responded, still using that same calm and sure tone that made Kenzi want to slap him across the face.

"Well, me and Kenzi," Bo emphasized the name, "are going to hop on the boat," she announced before kissing the wolf's cheek and leading Kenzi to the end of the dock.

"He's such a jerk," Kenzi complained, making sure to speak loudly enough for the source of her irritation to hear her. Bo sighed before stepping carefully off of the dock and into the boat. Offering her hand to help the other woman climb in, she spoke gruffly.

"I know you two don't get along. But you're both important to me, okay? So just…I don't know, ignore him or something," Bo requested, almost desperately. Kenzi clenched her jaw and swallowed a sarcastic retort.

"Fine, just buy him a muzzle or something," she conceded. Bo smiled at her gratefully. The two sat in comfortable silence for the next few minutes, until Trick and Dyson joined them on the boat.

"Kenzi! How are you?" Trick greeted the woman warmly. She gave him a small but genuine smile. She wasn't a huge fan of Trick, but he was miles better than Dyson. The small man was old fae, but he was also kind. And while he was on par with the typical fae belief that humans were inferior to fae, he didn't let it dictate his everyday interactions. Simply put, he was an okay man to be around, human or otherwise. Kenzi still wouldn't trust him as far as she could throw him, however.

The fact was, she was living in a time of shitty attitudes and class divisions. The fae were an entire race separate from humans, and they held no qualms about treating that fact as a beacon of pride. They were magical, powerful, wondrous, and _totally_ elitist. Humans as a whole had no knowledge of the fae, with the extremely rare exceptions such as herself. The only reason she wasn't killed after discovering their existence was Bo and her direct blood relation to Trick, who was one of the most powerful fae alive. She loved Bo to bits, but as far as Kenzi was concerned, the succubus was one in a billion. The fae, Light or Dark, were cruel, whether explicitly or subtly, that much she was sure of.

"I'm doing pretty darn well, actually. Thank you. Especially for using my name," she responded, muttering the last part under her breath.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we? Or on the water, I guess," Bo joked. Dyson smiled and went about getting the boat moving, all the while Kenzi tried to launch him into the water with her stare alone.

* * *

The quartet ended up sailing for a solid five hours, most of which Kenzi actually enjoyed. Between enjoying some bestie time, soaking in the sun, and smoking some super fancy cigars that Trick had thoughtfully brought, she found herself as relaxed as a hippie in a field of flowers. She also spent a good deal of her time quietly observing the other three people in her company. A psychic she wasn't, but Kenzi had always prided herself on being substantially more perceptive than most people, and this day was no different. She had noticed several things that, though not intensely scandalous, were interesting nonetheless.

Having watched Bo and Dyson throughout the day, she had come to the conclusion that they weren't quite as put together as they seemed. The signs were subtle, and even as perceptive as Kenzi was, she knew she wouldn't have picked up on anything at all had she not known Bo all her life. There was just something about the way Bo looked at the guy. Something about the way she managed to lean into him and away from him at the same time. Kenzi had no idea how the succubus even managed that one, but she noticed it either way.

It had been about two and a half years since Kenzi had first met Dyson, who had been temporarily working for another police department in Toronto at the time. She remembered the day well. She had been napping contently at home, which had been a tiny but decent house that she shared with Bo. She had heard laughing from outside the front door, and upon checking it out, had found Bo and Dyson flirting on the rickety porch. Apparently, the wolf had been looking for a certain house in the neighborhood and upon asking Bo for directions, had struck up a conversation. Things apparently went well, and a year later, he had asked Bo to return with him back to the States. She had agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly, and had been shacking up with him ever since.

If Kenzi were honest with herself, she would admit that she had been a little hurt at the time. But she had wanted her best friend to be happy, and since it was apparently a cop that smelled like wet dog that did it for her, she had dealt with it. That didn't mean she had to like the man, though. And that was good, because she definitely didn't.

Looking at the two today, though, had been different than back then in Toronto. Where as Bo used to look at Dyson with a lot more lust and genuine affection (though Kenzi was never wholly convinced it was love), her face now held more of a resigned look. Kenzi didn't even know if that was the right word, but it was as accurate as she could manage. Bo just didn't burn as brightly as she used to. It both confused and concerned her, and she silently vowed to herself that she would get to the bottom of whatever was happening with her best friend.

* * *

"That was actually pretty fun, babes. Although, now all I wanna do is nap for like, twenty three hours," Kenzi spoke gleefully from her place on the living room couch. The four had arrived back at the house about half an hour ago and the two women were left alone. Dyson and Trick hadn't stayed even ten minutes, before announcing that they had some "business" to take care of within the city. In all honesty, Kenzi hadn't cared enough to listen. She couldn't suppress the small smile she had worn when she noticed that Bo hadn't either.

"Not twenty four? Is all that hooch rotting your brain, Kenz?" Bo called from the kitchen where she was haphazardly throwing together a couple sandwiches.

"Gotta have an hour to eat, you feel?" The smaller woman quipped. She heard Bo chuckling and snapped an eye open to see a sandwich being held in front of her. Sitting up excitedly, she wasted no time in biting into the food.

"So, I was thinking of looking around at some places tomorrow, what d'ya say? Care to be my favorite egg?" She asked around the large bit of food in her mouth. Bo perked up at the question and nodded affirmatively.

"You got it," she agreed, happy to be reminded that her dear friend was gearing up to be around a hell of a lot more.

"Atta girl," Kenzi beamed. After scarfing down another large bite of her sandwich, she turned to sit cross-legged on the couch, facing Bo directly. Her expression turned curious as she spoke carefully.

"So…" she trailed off, gathering the scarce bits of tact that she possessed. Bo arched an eyebrow.

"So?" she prodded.

"What's eating ya these days? Dyson still not house trained?" Kenzi quipped, genuine concern lacing her mirthful words. Bo rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the amused smile from gracing her features.

"What do you mean? I'm ducky, can't you tell?" Bo retorted, her tone sharper than she had intended, causing Kenzi to look at her sideways.

"Nice line, but I'm not blind, Bo," she answered, tone gentle but firm. She knew Bo, and so she knew when things in the woman's busy head were off. Bo's clenched jaw only solidified her suspicions.

"It's nothing, Kenz. I'm just a bit balled up because…well…" Bo fell silent, looking conflicted. Kenzi just tilted her head, signaling that she was listening. With a sigh, Bo spoke.

"Dyson asked me to marry him," she confessed, causing Kenzi to slap a hand over her mouth in shock.

"WHAT?!" she half yelled, the word muffled behind her fingers. Tearing her hands from her face, Kenzi gripped Bo's shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"When?! Why didn't you tell me?! Please tell me you didn't say yes to that sap!" she pleaded. She was vaguely aware that her reaction was a lot less supportive than it maybe should've been, but at this point all of her filters were long gone.

"He asked me a couple months ago. I wanted to write you or something but…" she stopped, shrugging helplessly. Kenzi softened her gaze.

"Well? Did you say yes?" She questioned. Bo only nodded, a half smile on her face.

"Yeah, I did," she confirmed softly. Kenzi simply stared at Bo, trying her damndest to look neutral. Nodding slowly, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"That's, um. That's wonderful, Bo," she stuttered, almost rolling her eyes at her own transparency. She honestly didn't know what to say in that moment, torn between yelling every swear word she knew or shaking Bo until her defective brain fell out.

"Yeah," Bo agreed weakly. Kenzi furrowed her brow, not liking anything about the situation.

"So why do you look so grummy right now?" she asked bluntly. Bo shook her head.

"I'm not, Kenz. I'm just stressed about having to plan a wedding, I guess," she answered rather lamely. Kenzi waved a dismissive hand at her.

"You and Dyson are stacked. Just hire someone to do it for you," she suggested, only half heartedly trying to sound less horrified at the idea of Bo marrying Dyson.

"Yeah, maybe," Bo agreed. Kenzi sighed softly before taking Bo's hands in her own.

"Look, I know I'm not exactly being a live wire about this, but if this is what you really want, then I'm behind you a hundred percent. You're my best friend, and I just want you to be happy," she admitted genuinely. Noticing the lack of jewelry on Bo's hands, she arched a brow.

"Where's the ring?" she asked curiously. Bo smiled slyly, knowing just how to push Kenzi's buttons.

"It's being custom made in Paris," she shrugged nonchalantly, smiling internally at the other woman's painfully dramatic eye roll.

"Of course it is."

* * *

Hours later, at the cusp of sunset, the two women had parted ways, Kenzi craving a nap and Bo a hot shower. Wrapped snugly in a soft ivory bathrobe, the succubus padded quietly into the large bedroom she shared with Dyson. Opening one of the many drawers of the solid mahogany dresser that sat against the far wall, she pulled out and slipped into a simple but flattering black night gown and absently ran a comb through her wet locks of hair. Knowing from experience that Dyson wasn't going to be back anytime soon, she padded leisurely back into the living room, picking up Kenzi's abandoned plate from their earlier lunch.

Dropping it into the sink, she turned and made her way to the guest room where she could almost hear Kenzi snoring like a train. She smiled when she quietly eased open the door and saw the human fully dressed and face down on top of the covers. Snickering, she softly closed the door and left the girl to her unorthodox nap.

Before she could think too hard about what she was doing, Bo found herself in the small cellar of her home. Running her eyes over the several crates of expensive liquors that she had stashed before the Prohibition laws had taken effect, she grasped a bottle of simple red wine and headed back into the main area of the house. Moments later, she sat comfortably in a plush chair in one of the rooms that Dyson tended to avoid – a basic study with a large window facing the lush foliage of the back yard.

Pouring herself a generous glassful of the smooth alcohol, Bo leaned over and eased her hand underneath the chair she was seated on. Feeling around expertly, she carefully pulled out a single piece of folded paper that had been lightly taped to the wooden bottom. Taking a long pull from her glass, she held the letter in her free hand gingerly, as if the sheet were something inherently precious. It was fairly worn from frequent folding and unfolding, and the script handwriting, while not the fanciest, was decidedly beautiful to her. She set down her glass and ran a shaky hand through her drying hair before beginning to read intently; taking in each and every word as if she'd never looked upon them before.

* * *

Hours later, around half past three, still face down and fully dressed on a ridiculously soft bed, Kenzi groggily opened her eyes. As per usual, she had been jostled from the grips of sleep by her growling stomach. The thought of food was the only thing motivating enough to get her up, so she slowly dragged herself in what she hoped was the general direction of the kitchen. A wide and sleepy smile stretched across her face when she set her eyes upon the fridge and the pantry. Rubbing her hands together wickedly, she dove in.

After fixing herself an obscenely think sandwich, Kenzi began hobbling back toward her designated room. She stopped suddenly however, when a dim light from the end of one of the several hallways caught her eye. Changing direction, she made her way as silently as she could toward the light. Upon reaching the doorway, she peered into what she recognized as a study. Looking around, she smiled fondly at Bo, who was sound asleep in a comfy looking chair. She took note of the nearly half empty bottle of wine sitting on a small table next to the succubus and made a mental note about high fiving the other brunette tomorrow.

She furrowed her brow curiously when she noticed the piece of paper resting on Bo's lap. Setting her plate down with more care than she knew she had, Kenzi approached Bo's sleeping form and gently pulled what she guessed to be a letter from Bo's limp fingers.

And so she stood there, trying not to breathe too loudly, utterly conflicted about whether or not to read it, whatever it was. She was painfully nosy; she could and would admit that. But she knew that it would be a violation her best friend's privacy if she were to go on and run her eyes over the contents of the paper. So with a silent and petulant sigh, Kenzi folded the letter and slipped it underneath the bottle of wine still sitting on the table.

Knowing how much mornings sucked after sleeping in anything that wasn't a bed, Kenzi grasped Bo's shoulder and shook her. Bo was slow to come to, but eventually her sleepy brain registered Kenzi's presence.

"Wha? What'd I do?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"Nothing, ya lush. I just thought you'd rather sleep in your own bed for the rest of the night," Kenzi responded quietly but kindly. She hadn't initially planned to wake the slumbering fae, but she figured Dyson wouldn't be too keen on finding his fiancé passed out drunk in a chair, wine bottle still open next to her. So to save her bestie an argument and thus a headache, she decided to put Bo to bed herself.

She arched a brow, which was something she felt she was doing a lot lately, when Bo glanced at her lap and then around the room with a panicked look on her face.

"It's under the wine, Bo Bo," she offered. Bo's gaze landed on the paper and she visibly relaxed. Then she turned and glanced at Kenzi, about to speak.

"I didn't read it, whatever it is. Now come on, succubum. Sleep calls for me," Kenzi assured her before Bo could ask anything.

"Okay, I'm just gonna put this wine back before Dyson sees it and has a coronary," Bo yawned in response. Kenzi just nodded and kissed Bo's cheek fondly before retrieving her food and heading back to her own bed. Once she was gone, Bo carefully put the letter back under the chair, smoothing her fingertips over small pieces of tape.

After disposing of the wine and shutting off the dim light, Bo settled into a scarcely used bed in one of the guest bedrooms. She burrowed herself into the warmth of the blankets, folding in on herself. Had she not been quite as drunk as she was, she might've allowed herself to notice the ease in which she could breathe when in a bed that wasn't the one she shared with her fiancé. She fell asleep quickly, the words in the letter bouncing around the confines of her brain. It had been exactly fifty-one days since she had received it in the post, and even after all that time, Bo could not (or maybe _would_ not) figure out what to do.

On the opposite side of the spacious house, now dressed comfortably in shorts and a raggedy old t-shirt and with a pleasantly full stomach, Kenzi relaxed and sank deeper into bed. She stumbled towards unconsciousness quickly, but not before a question fleetingly racked her brain.

Although she hadn't read the letter at all, her eyes had nonetheless caught a single name signed carefully at the bottom of the paper. It had only been a split second while she had been folding it up, but it had been enough.

And so, as she was falling asleep in her best friend's New York mansion in the cold and early hours of December 3rd, 1922, she couldn't help but wonder.

_Who the hell is Lauren?_


	2. Back To Black

Chapter Two

"Back To Black"

* * *

_(November, 1917)_

"_Come with me, please."_

_Impeccably dressed in a form-fitting sapphire gown, Bo McCorrigan looked up from her drink, her boredom and general unease instantly forgotten upon hearing the breathy and polite voice. She lifted her eyes to gaze at the source of the soft request. A woman-who appeared to be a waitress for the event judging by her crisp white shirt and thin black tie-looked back at Bo with eyes that reminded the succubus of honey. Her blonde hair and strong jaw were striking, and Bo could only smile at her goofily, not understanding the context of the woman's instruction._

_ "What?" She breathed out clumsily. The blonde arched an eyebrow at Bo and opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by Trick's irritated voice._

_ "Bo? Are you even listening?" Trick's question filtered through to her brain. She froze for a split second-which probably made her look insane to the blonde, who Bo was still staring at-then quickly turned her head towards him, sheepishly confused._

_ "Uh…no, sorry. What were you saying?" She asked him, a little embarrassed at being caught spacing out into her glass, then making a bit of a fool of her usually suave self with the waitress. Her grandfather only smiled at her, albeit a bit tightly. He was aware that the fae world was new to Bo, but this event was important-both for him and for the fae as a whole. This was the first time Bo had ever been in the company of so many fae. He was happy to have her there, both as a figurehead and as a grandfather. He may have only become directly involved in Bo's life not even six months ago, but he could feel his fondness for her growing each and every day. _

_Still, Bo needed to focus on making a good impression and taking in as much of their ways and traditions as she could tonight, so the daydreaming needed to stop._

_ "I was saying that you ought to introduce yourself to some of the Elders. They're important families, Bo. And some of them have sons around your age," Trick said the last bit playfully, but Bo could hear the hope in his tone. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and simply smiled. _

_ "Okay, sure," she agreed if only to end the conversation. Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed slightly at Trick when she saw him snap his fingers rudely at the blonde waitress who had remained silent by her side. He gestured to Bo and then wordlessly turned away from the blonde, as if she had suddenly ceased exist. Bo furrowed her brow and reached her arm out to grasp Trick's shoulder, but was stopped by a soft hand on her wrist._

_ "Come on, I'll show you around," the blonde spoke, soft and placating. Bo clenched her jaw but relented, breathing through her nose in irritation at Trick's attitude toward the waitress. The annoyance melted from her being though, once she looked at the blonde again. With a smile that was both apologetic and shy- though she'd never admit that out loud, because succubi absolutely do not get shy-she simply nodded. She felt butterflies in her stomach when the blonde smiled back at her. Bo followed the woman as she weaved her way around random people gracefully, only stopping to let a short and plumper woman snag the last two champagne flutes from the tray in her hands. _

_ With the tray now under her arm, the blonde glanced back at Bo to make sure she hadn't lost her in a crowd. She had turned her head, not expecting the succubus to be as close to her as she was. The two froze for a moment, faces closer than appropriate. Bo forced herself to lean back, not wanting to get the pretty waitress into any trouble. She cleared her throat awkwardly._

_ "So, um, where are you taking me exactly?" She asked. She watched as the lithe woman gestured with a tip of her head to a spot at the end of the bar where a tall, uppity man with graying hair stood surrounded by three equally snobby looking younger men. _

_ "That's one of the Elders Mr. McCorrigan was referring to. He was telling me to walk you over but you were staring pretty hard into your gin," she answered Bo, a trace of teasing in her voice. Bo tried not to blush. She failed._

_ "Oh. He looks…important," the succubus commented lamely, trying to reel her nerves in. She relaxed slightly when she heard the waitress genuinely chuckle._

_ "He is, very much so," she confirmed. Seconds passed. Bo blinked._

_ "Do I really have to talk to him?" she asked the blonde, unable to keep the slight whine from her voice. To her relief, the blonde remained amused._

_ "I suppose not, but your grandfather gave me pretty clear instructions-" _

_ "Don't worry, I wouldn't get you into trouble," Bo cut in with a wink. She was slowly becoming more at ease with this woman, allowing her flirtatious nature to surface. She danced internally when she saw the pinkish tint of the blonde's face. _

_ "Be that as it may, I do have to get back to work. Unless watching me hand out beverages is your idea of a grand time," she shrugged at the brunette, ducking her head shyly. Bo just about melted on the spot._

_ "Maybe it is. I could keep you company and you can give me the gist of who's who," the succubus suggested hopefully. She noticed the look of slight hesitation on the other woman's face. Fearing that her boldness had been misplaced, she backtracked a bit._

_ "Unless you don't want to. Or can't. Or-" Bo added quickly only to be cut off by a soft chuckle. _

_ "That sounds nice. Let me just grab a fresh tray," The blonde relented, finding Bo impossibly cute. Bo nodded so enthusiastically that it was almost comical before reeling herself in, trying to keep some semblance of a cool __demeanor. It really wasn't working, but if this woman kept smiling at her the way she was then Bo didn't care. She watched as the waitress disappeared behind the bar and through a door that she guessed led to a kitchen. _

* * *

(Present Time)

The next morning, Bo found herself sitting at her kitchen table staring warily at her less than stellar version of bacon and eggs. She had woken up early, her stomach hellbent on expelling what felt like everything she had ever consumed. After a solid half hour of half sitting half lying on her bathroom floor, the succubus had forced her body to move to the kitchen for some food. She didn't feel the slightest bit hungry-in fact, the mere thought of eating made her feel like she was going to be sick allover again-but she knew from experience that eating something greasy would make her feel better.

She was infinitely glad that Dyson had still not returned home since they had taken Kenzi out on the boat yesterday. She could only imagine what he would've said about her late night antics. She hadn't intended to get as drunk as she had, but her emotions had gotten the better of her. She shook her head, picking at her food.

Reading that letter always left her raw. She should've expected the wine binge, in all honesty.

"What, no chow for me?" Kenzi's voice cut through her thoughts. Bo simply grunted from her seat.

"Ah, feelin' the booze biting back huh? I see, I see," Kenzi teased the succubus, laughing when Bo flipped the bird at her in lieu of verbally responding. The young bootlegger proceeded to disappear into the pantry for a number of minutes. She reemerged with arms full of muffins, chips, pastries, and a random cereal box that Bo didn't even know they had. Dumping her haul onto the table, Kenzi plopped down into a chair and tore into the food. Bo watched her eat, completely used to the sheer quantities that Kenzi could consume effortlessly.

With a muffin in each hand, a bag of potato chips open in front of her, and a mouthful of cheese danish, the smaller brunette suddenly yelled.

"House hunting! I almost forgot!" Bo flinched at the spray of soggy crumbs flying her way. She leaned back to avoid any more projectile danish bits and smiled.

"I was hoping you wouldn't remember. I have a killer headache," Bo told her, hand rubbing her temple. Kenzi waved her hand dismissively, shoving a muffin into her mouth.

"Suck it up, sista," she commanded, speaking expertly around the mass of sugary bread. Bo shrugged.

"Alright, but don't expect me to move any faster than a Red Sox player after swinging," she joked. Kenzi scowled at her.

"What does that even-you know what, I don't care. Just get ready to go slummin' it with me," she winked. Bo smiled and nodded, rolling her eyes.

"I _did_ grow up with you in an _orphanage_, remember? I'm sure I can handle this," the succubus pointed out. She may be living in a dream house in a dream city these days, but she had done more than her fair share of "slumming it". Plus, it hadn't been that long since she'd left Toronto, where her and Kenzi had shared a small house up until she moved to the Big Apple.

"Fair point. Now go shower! You smell like upchuck," Kenzi informed her tactlessly. Bo narrowed her eyes.

"Hey-" she began before being interrupted.

"Yada yada, time's a wastin'," Kenzi sang over Bo's retort before prancing out of the kitchen, probably five pounds heavier in Bo's estimation. As she observed the mess the girl had left on her table, she furrowed her brow. She picked up a now half empty brightly colored cereal box that sported a suspiciously happy looking tiger smiling widely at her from the front of the cardboard. She shivered a little, feeling creeped out.

"Aren't you endangered or something? What are you so jived about, fur ball?" she mumbled at the box before standing up and shoving it as deep as she could get it into the trashcan. She turned back to the table and plucked a half eaten danish from the pile of sugary ruins Kenzi had left. Feeling a little better, she headed for the shower.

* * *

Upon entering her living room to join Kenzi, who she had been yelling back and forth with from the bathroom, Bo was greeted with the sight of Dyson and a colleague of his that she had met several times. Hale, like Dyson, was a cop, and had been the shifter's partner before Trick had promoted the wolf. Bo thought of the siren as a pretty good guy, from what little she knew about him. He had always been amicable, lacking much of the snobbery that fae were infamous for.

Dyson was seated on the arm of one of the couches, while Hale stood casually near the door. Kenzi sat with arms crossed on a small couch, feet lazily resting on a parallel coffee table. The shifter and the human seemed to be arguing.

"Bo is a big girl, okay Spot? We can drive ourselves," the small Russian insisted, vaguely indignant. While she knew that Dyson wasn't really trying to be so condescending, his obliviousness really only pissed her off further. He was just so fae.

"Hale and I are going into the city, I think it's better that we drove," he replied with a tone so resolute that it made Kenzi want to punch him in the face.

"We don't need a chaperone, you mangy fu-" she began before Bo interrupted, eyes wide.

"Dyson, babe, it'll be fine. We have two breezers anyway," she reasoned. She was eager to leave him out of her and Kenzi's plans today, wanting to escape the suffocation she was beginning to feel more and more as the days ticked by. She figured that if she didn't acknowledge the feeling, then it wasn't there in the first place. The faulty logic was obvious, but she would address that later. She heard Dyson huff slightly.

"Okay. How about I drive you and Hale drives Kenzi?" he proposed. Kenzi rolled her eyes.

"What is the point of that?" She questioned in irritation. Bo waited for Dyson's explanation, not knowing what his reasoning was behind the peculiar suggestion, either.

"Hale and I are scouting some buildings today for Trick. We can drive each of you, and then take one of the cars and leave you two with the other," he laid out, crossing his arms as if it cemented his words into facts.

"Why don't you and Hale take one car and Kenz and I take the other?" Bo questioned, barely able to conceal the annoyance she felt at Dyson's ridiculous attempt at dominance.

"I wanted to stop by Sam's with you," he replied, surprising Bo, who had expected a more…infuriating response. She furrowed her brow.

"The bakery? What for?" she asked, interest piqued. He gave a charming half-smile that didn't quite give her the butterflies it should have. She shoved the thought from to the back of her mind, wondering when she'd run out of room.

"Sam himself is there today, and he wants us to go in and try some specialty cakes for the wedding. It'll take twenty minutes, tops. We'll just pick one and then I can drop you with Kenzi and grab Hale. It's on the way to the first house you guys are going to have a look at," he answered, confident that Bo would agree. And after thinking it over for all of five seconds, she did.

"I guess that'll work out," she relented, hearing Kenzi groan softly in displeasure. She was surprised when Hale spoke, forgetting that he was there.

"It's all good, Kenzi. You know I don't bite," he quipped, tipping his hat to her. He had only met Kenzi a couple of times, back when he had worked in Toronto for a short stint about a year ago, but he had always found her to be funny and very, very pretty.

"I guess you _are_ the one silver lining here," she admitted, feeling at ease in the siren's presence. Though they didn't know each other well, she had always liked the guy, even with that stupid hat he always wore.

"So it's settled. Let's get a move on," Dyson voiced, voice once again stern, making Bo roll her eyes. He was so difficult.

* * *

Kenzi relaxed into the soft leather of the cherry red convertible. They had been driving for all of three minutes, and the restraint she had promised herself that she'd have was long spent. She went for it.

"So, Hale, tell me something," she started, at least trying a little to not appear so nosy.

"O-kay," he agreed hesitantly, glancing at her for a second before returning his eyes to the road. Smiling in success, Kenzi leaned into his direction conspiringly before voicing her question.

"What do you think of Bo and Dyson getting married?"

Hale's brow furrowed as he thought over the question. Finally, he shrugged.

"I'm happy for my best friend. He's been on Bo like a dog on a bone since he's met her, you know?" He joked. In all honesty, he really _was_ genuinely excited for Dyson. He just wasn't sure that the two were really meant for marriage. He didn't put much stock into his own opinion on the subject, however, knowing that he was fairly unknowledgeable about relationships in general. But still, he couldn't help thinking that the succubus and the wolf were building a marriage on something that wasn't what it probably should've been.

Kenzi tilted her head, unsatisfied with the diplomatic answer.

"Oh come on, that's it?" She whined. Hale only shrugged again, not knowing what to say. Kenzi licked her lips before digging further.

"Okay, fine. Why is Trick smothering them with dough?" She asked. She was mildly surprised when Hale's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"Really? You haven't noticed that they're a couple of eggs now? Hell, they're _golden_ eggs at this point," Kenzi replied, filters gone.

"Well, Trick _is_ the Blood King. And Dyson is his right hand," Hale suggested. Kenzi only rolled her eyes. She already knew that.

"No joke. But he only made Dyson his head guard dog _after_ Bo moved in with him," she pointed out. Hale only shrugged yet again. He really didn't know what Trick's motives were.

"So what happens after they're married?" Kenzi thought out loud, not knowing if she'd like the answer. Hell, of course she wouldn't. She didn't even like the fiancé.

"Trick is Bo's grandfather, so Dyson would be his…_grand_son in law? Other than that, I don't know," Hale supplied unhelpfully. Kenzi was about to reply when she was cut off by a loud noise coming up on the side of the car.

"YOU'RE MIGHTY SLOW, PARTNER!" Dyson roared over the engines of the two cars. He was grinning challengingly at Hale, who hollered and revved his engine in response, effectively challenging the wolf. Kenzi soon found herself smiling in excitement at the idea of the two racing. The roads weren't too filled, the sky was the iciest shade of blue she had ever seen, and the view of New York City from the bridge they were driving across was absolutely beautiful. She could see the horizon, still a little orange from the sun rising not too long ago. The wind in her hair picked up with the car's speed and the sensation was exhilarating. Taking it all in, she chanced a look at Bo, who seemed to be smiling-though it was entirely inauthentic. As the cars picked up even more speed and the two detectives seemed to lose any respect for traffic laws, Kenzi unexpectedly found her smile waning.

She got the feeling that this wasn't about having fun for the two men, but rather about doing whatever they wanted simply because they knew they could. She was overcome with the feeling that she was being shown something-something that was simultaneously inviting and rotten. There wasn't much fun to be had here, she suspected. Just food for their self-importance, which she had observed in them over and over again from the moment she stepped into Bo's obscenely swanky East Egg mansion.

She saw a cop coming up behind the powder blue car Dyson and Bo were in, and went to warn Hale. She stopped abruptly when she saw the cop look at Dyson with a look of recognition before slowing down and disappearing behind them into traffic, leaving the wolf and the siren to their testosterone filled street battle. The anger welled up inside of her, combining with the unease she already felt. She realized that along with wealth came power when one was favored by Trick. These people-these fae _leaders_-were untouchable, and Kenzi would be a Grade-A liar if she said that it didn't scare her.

Kenzi spent the rest of the ride with her arms crossed and her eyes forward.

* * *

"What's wrong with this one?" Bo asked in amusement. They had been at it for the last three hours and unfortunately-both for Kenzi's enthusiasm and Bo's sanity-each place they visited seemed to rub Kenzi the wrong way.

"It has an attic," Kenzi informed the succubus. Bo looked at her questioningly.

"So? It's storage space," she reasoned. Kenzi shook her head.

"For what? A serial killer?" she deadpanned. Bo laughed. Shaking her head at the younger woman's logic, she looked around. The place was spacious even with it's single bedroom. It was okay, but she had to agree with her best friend. She couldn't see Kenzi living here.

"On to the next one, then," she said, throwing her arm around Kenzi's shoulders. The two hopped back into the car. Kenzi found that yet again she was unable to censor herself, although, to her credit, she _had_ managed to last a few hours this time. Turning to Bo with an unreadable expression, Kenzi spoke.

"So what was that back there?"

Bo stilled her hands on the steering wheel suddenly. She looked at Kenzi, confused.

"What was what?" she asked.

"That macho street racing that your fiancé was doing," Kenzi replied, only sort of regretting the venom that she herself could hear in her own words. Bo sighed. After the two cops had dropped them off and Kenzi hadn't acknowledged the incident, she had been relieved. She should've known that it'd come up at some point.

"They're just showing off for you, that's all," she explained lamely. Kenzi rolled her eyes.

"They think they're special," she spat. She left it at that, but her thoughts forged on bitterly.

_Because they are special-in an awful and cruel way. They think they're above the rules because they are_.

"Look, Kenz, I don't wanna fight. They were just being guys, all bravado and no brains," Bo insisted, trying to ward off the panic that was creeping up on her again, so familiar and reminiscent of the last few months of her life. Kenzi only sighed, losing much of her argumentative momentum upon hearing the pleading in Bo's voice.

"Alright, you're right. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm being so touchy about Dyson and his alpha bullshit," she conceded, silently congratulating herself on actually sounding rather genuine. She meant not a single word of what she was saying, but she could see that even if she wanted to hash out every reason why Dyson was totally lame, today wasn't the right day. Smiling at Bo apologetically, the smaller woman changed the subject quickly.

"So, where's the next place?" she asked, leaning over to look at the handwritten list of properties in Bo's hands.

"Over on Fifth Street," Bo replied with a theatrical wave of the sheet.

"Let's jet, then," Kenzi grinned.

* * *

"This one's…nice," Bo commented lamely, trying to be diplomatic about the house's rundown appearance. Kenzi snorted next to her, trying to figure out what would come flying out of the oven if she decided to open it-probably mutant bats or something judging by the weird smell that permeated the place. The two looked around the cramped kitchen for another minute before Bo shivered comically and booked it to the living area. Kenzi followed while giggling at her friend's disgust.

"Nice? It's a shit hole Bo, let's be honest," Kenzi summed up with a wide smile. There was no way in any version of hell that she would ever consider living in this place, but touring it with Bo had been ten kinds of hilarious. The succubus may have been a powerful and lethal fae, but apparently all of that went out of the window when she saw a cockroach in the bathroom that, according to Bo's colorful description, "had tiny fucking monster wings". Seeing Bo perched on the rusty sink with wide eyes had made Kenzi double over in laughter with tears in her eyes.

"God, it really is," Bo conceded, arms crossed in paranoia. Kenzi felt a grin forming on her face yet again at Bo's discomfort.

"Come on, let's go before I see that little rat with fangs that I saw earlier in the hall closet," the younger woman suggested casually, breezing by the other brunette. She snickered when Bo rushed past her and out the front door in less than two seconds.

"Oh come on, Bo! You could always just pulse the little sucker!" Kenzi drove herself into another laughing fit, picturing in her head a terrified Bo trying to woo a tiny grungy rat with her succu-touch. She closed the front door, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Oh man, that was great," she smiled to herself. Bo, who was standing with the car between her and the house, waved her over dramatically.

"Let's go before I upchuck," she said as Kenzi walked up to the car. The young human only nodded, covering her mouth with her hand in an effort to keep the resurging giggles in. Bo narrowed her eyes.

"Let's see if I buy you lunch after _this_," she threatened mock seriously. Kenzi only pressed her hand into her mouth harder, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. The pair climbed into the breezer, and Bo pulled out of the yard with a spray of gravel. She shivered one last time as they drove away. They cracked jokes about the house of horrors for the length of the ten minute drive to Trick's bar, the Dal Riata, most of them at Bo's expense.

"Ugh, I am so starved right noooow." Kenzi sing songed, rushing toward the entrance. Bo locked the car and followed after her closely. The bar was mostly empty, being that it was only about two in the afternoon on a Thursday. Being that it was now illegal to serve alcohol in the United States, the Dal was now only really frequented by the fae, who tended to take the law about as seriously as they would a blind map maker. The alcohol was hidden away, but it was still common knowledge among the supernatural community that there was booze to be found at Trick's bar. The women sat on barstools right at the bar and were greeted by Trick, who as per usual, was cleaning a glass beer stein with a rag.

"Hello, girls," He smiled at them fondly. Bo smiled back widely while Kenzi gave him a half smile, still not entirely relaxed in the small man's presence.

"What can I do for you?" He asked while picking up another beer stein to clean.

"Food," Kenzi deadpanned. Bo elbowed her in the ribs.

"We stopped by for lunch, is what she is trying to say," Bo mended, smirking when Kenzi shrugged innocently.

"Well, what would you like?" Trick asked, finally leaving the poor glassware alone.

"I want a burger with a side of cheese and Bo wants any rogue mice that you've caught recently," Kenzi answered in a flat, serious tone. She yelped when she felt Bo kick her solidly in the shin.

"Two cheeseburgers, Trick. Thanks," the succubus drawled, ignoring Kenzi's glare. Chuckling in what was more confusion than amusement, Trick veered off into the back to prepare their food.

"So, I think I know the answer already, but did you actually like _any_ of the places we saw today?" Bo questioned curiously, resting her elbow on the bar and her head on her hand like a bored teenager. Kenzi scoffed.

"No," was all she replied with, though the single syllable was firm. Bo smiled widely at her friend.

"Not even the one with the cute neighbor boy?" the succubus teased. One of the first places they looked at had been situated on a long residential street lined with mismatched houses of different colors and building styles. The little house was nice, but Kenzi was more interested in the neighbor and his scruffy boyish face. Well, she had been at first. Not even thirty minutes into the visit, Kenzi had grabbed Bo by the hand and practically dragged her back to the car.

"Sure he was cute, until he tried to show me his pet snake," Kenzi replied with a cringe. Bo shrugged.

"What's wrong with having a snake?" she asked, watching Kenzi shudder.

"Unless Rattles the Rattlesnake was hanging out in the dude's jockstrap, there was no reason for him to start undoing his jeans," she said seriously, lightly smacking the bar in emphasis and drawing a snort from Bo.

"Nice," was all she had to say. Looking around at the still empty establishment, she hummed absentmindedly. The quiet didn't last long before Trick had reappeared with their food. Bo hadn't realized how hungry she was and she perked up at the sight of the burgers.

"Those look _so good_," Kenzi moaned dramatically before pawing at them even though they were still in Trick's hands. He set the two plates down with a chuckle before turning slightly to Bo.

"How is the search going? Find any gems?" He asked curiously. Kenzi scoffed from Bo's side and answered for the succubus.

"No," she summarized, chewing her food like she hadn't eaten in days. Bo shook her head in amusement.

"No luck. Some of them were…nice, and some were pretty horrifying," she explained. Trick only nodded.

"House hunting is a challenge that is often underestimated," he shrugged. Clearing his throat, he looked at Bo with a look of slight apology.

"I hate to impose on your plans for the rest of the day, but there's a meeting that I need you to accompany me to, Bo," he informed her. Bo looked up from her food with a look of confusion.

"When? Today? You're just telling me this now?" she questioned all at once while managing to keep the irritation from her tone. Trick nodded before continuing.

"I'm sorry, it slipped my mind. It's nothing serious. It's about your upcoming nuptials, actually," he beamed at her. Bo swallowed roughly, hating the way she felt every time the wedding was brought up. She was confused, conflicted, and everything in between. It was exhausting, to say the least.

"I'm not going to just leave Kenzi alone, Trick," she told him pointedly. She felt a brief twinge of satisfaction when she saw his jaw clench. Clearing his throat in what was an authoritative manner, Trick continued.

"Your wedding is important, Bo. More so than you seem to realize. Now, this meeting will be brief but you _will _be present for it. Your friend will be just fine on her own for a few hours," he told her, voice firm and eyes suddenly hard. Kenzi, who had been sitting quietly watching the two butt heads, rolled her eyes.

"And we're back to not using my name, golly gee," she muttered. She watched Bo stare the small man down with what she decided was a mix of confusion and anger.

"It's just a wedding. It's nothing to have fae meetings about," the succubus ground out, barely containing her rising anger. Trick only leveled his eyes at her before glancing at his watch.

"I'll be driving you. We leave in thirty minutes. Your friend can take your car," he decided, walking away to the back room before Bo could object again. Kenzi furrowed her brow and looked from Bo to the door Trick had left through, and then back at Bo.

"What the hell was that?" she asked the older brunette. Bo tore her glare away from the door to look at Kenzi.

"He's been acting like this since Dyson told him we were engaged. It's getting worse though, now that it's getting closer," she answered.

"Closer? You guys set a date?" the smaller woman asked in surprise. Bo nodded.

"Sort of. Dyson wants to get married in the spring."

Kenzi's eyes widened.

"The spring? That's in like four months," she pointed out.

"Believe me, I _know_," Bo sighed, making Kenzi really look at her friend. Bo looked tired. She had thought it was the hangover, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that there was more to it.

"Bo, are you sure you even want to do this? I mean, you don't have to marry the guy," she pointed out softly, not wanting to stress the succubus out even more. Bo looked at Kenzi, eyes decidedly softer.

"I love Dyson," she started. "I'm just…I don't even know," she finished lamely. Kenzi laid her hand on Bo's arm.

"Do what feels right. That's all you can do," she shrugged, trying to downplay the emotion in her own words. She thought of Nate. Then she thought of something else.

She looked away from Bo when the brunette's stare became too intense.

"Okay," was all Bo could think to say.

* * *

Kenzi was enjoying the sun. She was driving Bo's car with the top down, on her way to the last house she had planned on looking at for the day. She was in a peculiar mood at this point, somewhere between somber and nostalgic. Her encounter with Trick and her subsequent conversation with Bo had thrown her a bit, and she kept randomly thinking of Nate. Her own words came back to her. She and Nate were over, and for the first time since it had happened, she felt…lighter. She didn't know exactly what was going on with Bo, but she was going to do her best to support her.

She pulled the car up to the front yard of a small cottage. She hummed in appreciation of the look of the front of the house. It had a small porch, which Kenzi was happy to see. Turning the car off, she leisurely stepped out of the car. She looked to the house next to the cottage and whistled in awe. The house was huge, for a lack of a better word. It wasn't as large as Bo and Dyson's house, but it was impressive nonetheless. It looked to be a sort of brownstone house. From the looks of it, she'd guess it to have seven or eight rooms, probably more. She couldn't see over the stone walls surrounding what she guessed to be the back yard, but she just knew that there was a pool. Rich people always had pools. Turning away from the house, she made her way into the cottage she had come to tour. It looked even smaller now, especially compared to the house next to it. It didn't bother her.

The cottage ended up being the most appealing residence she had seen all day. She wished Bo was there to be excited with her, but it didn't dampen her mood too much. The place was just so cozy. It sported two small bedrooms, a bathroom, with a clawfoot tub, and a kitchen fit for a novice cook. She made a mental note to look into the cottage further, deciding to sleep on her decision. She didn't want to just jump into this place, but house hunting was hard and she really did like the small cottage. It was also located in West Egg, which she was sort of thankful for. If East Egg was the neighborhood for the snobby and filthy rich, then West Egg was the neighborhood for the slightly less snobby and filthy rich. And maybe her if she wanted.

It was a quarter before five when she finished her tour and settled back into the car. The sun was still out and Kenzi decided to lounge for a bit and smoke a cigarette, relaxing even further into the soft leather. She pulled a near empty pack of cigs from her jacket pocket. As she was trying to light her Marlboro, she cursed. Her lighter was out of fuel. She was reaching for the glove box of the breezer in search of another one when a voice startled her.

"It's a nice little place, isn't it?"

Kenzi looked up at the source of the voice. It was a woman, with blonde hair, brown eyes and a kind smile. She stood a few feet from the car. Kenzi nodded carefully. She had never been great with strangers. Well, unless it was to sell them alcohol.

"It's simple. I like that," she replied. The mystery blonde nodded in agreement. Kenzi smiled curtly before resuming her search for a lighter. The blonde noticed the unlit cigarette in Kenzi's hand and fished into the pocket of her brown leather jacket. She stretched her hand out to the smaller girl.

"Need a light?" She asked knowingly. Kenzi shut the glove box loudly and looked at the fancy silver lighter being offered to her. She shrugged and smiled, this time more genuinely, at the blonde.

"Thanks," she said. The other woman only shrugged back at her, smirking slightly.

"So, are you here to visit the place too or…?" Kenzi asked while focusing her eyes and hands on the flame of the lighter. While she was lighting her smoke, she noticed the small script inscription on the side of the lighter.

_Lewis._

"No, I live in _that_ house actually," she answered sheepishly, gesturing to the fancy brownstone that Kenzi was ogling earlier.

"No shit?" the brunette asked in surprise. This blonde woman didn't look poor, far from it actually. But she also didn't look (or act) like someone who lived in West Egg.

"Yeah. Inheritance," was all the blonde offered in the way of an explanation. Kenzi simply nodded and offered the lighter back.

"It's nice. A bit pompous, but nice," she winked, somehow knowing that no offense would be taken at her words. She was proven right when the blonde chuckled and agreed. She pulled out a cigarette of her own. Kenzi, now noticing that she was sitting and the blonde was standing awkwardly, leaned over to open the passenger side door of the car.

"Hop in, blondie," she offered. The other woman looked a bit surprised for a moment, but gracefully took the offer. The pair settled into the car, enjoying their nicotine in comfortable silence for the next few minutes.

"So, how many people have looked at this place?" Kenzi asked, breaking the peaceful quiet. She was met with a shrug.

"Not many. Anyone who's looking to move to West Egg is usually looking for something bigger," she exhaled some smoke, "and more pompous," the blonde winked. Kenzi grinned at her, enjoying the company.

"You don't seem rich," the brunette decided verbally instead of in her own head like she had intended. The taller woman only shrugged.

"Guess not," she conceded. Kenzi took a long drag from her cigarette and leaned her head back.

"The weather is awesome today," she breathed out, smoke escaping her lips softly.

"It is decidedly warmer today than it has been lately, isn't it?" the mystery neighbor asked rhetorically, exhaling more of her own smoke. Kenzi turned her head lazily toward her.

"I'm Kenzi by the way," she said between drags.

"Hello, _Kenzi-by-the-way_," the blonde quipped while taking a long drag from the cigarette between her fingers.

"This is the part where you tell me your name, you know. Is it Lewis like your lighter says? I'm pretty sure that's a boy's name," Kenzi rambled.

"Surname," was the only response she got. Kenzi arched an eyebrow and was about to respond when she remembered that she promised Bo that she'd be back by half past five. It was now five ten. She cleared her throat of smoke.

"Sorry Lewis, but I'm gonna have to kick you out. I gotta get this beauty back to it's owner," she said while tossing her cigarette out of the car. The blonde smiled amicably before letting herself out of the breezer.

"I have a feeling I'll be seeing you more often, Kenzi," she told the young woman in the drivers seat. Kenzi nodded, taking one last glance at the cottage.

"You just might be right about that," she agreed. She gave the blonde a final wave and drove off.

* * *

Bo smiled to herself when she heard Kenzi's obnoxious slamming of the front door.

"Booooooooooooo!" she heard bellowed through the house. The succubus called back to her from her place at the kitchen table.

"Well, hello _mamacita_," the young woman greeted Bo salaciously. Bo grinned widely and leaned back in her chair to study her.

"Someone's happy this evening. What happened? Did you see another _rattlesnake_?" she bated her friend who scowled at her playfully.

"Uh, no. But I did look at this cozy little cottage and I think it might be the one," Kenzi told Bo proudly. She really was excited. Bo's eyebrows lifted.

"Really? That's great! It's not too far from here is it?" She asked, hoping to hear that it was, in fact, not far at all.

"It's in West Egg, so we'd be pretty close," Kenzi answered, clapping her hands together excitedly before plopping down in a chair. Bo furrowed her brow.

"West Egg? Isn't that…expensive?" she asked carefully, not wanting to burst her bestie's bubble.

"That's the best part! It's in West Egg _but_ it's tiny and adorable. I get to live in the snobby part of town with all of those wet blankets and bother the shit out of all of them. It's great!" Kenzi threw her hands up in excitement. Bo looked at her for a second to decide if the girl was serious. When Kenzi kept staring at her with a huge smile, Bo cracked.

"That is actually pretty fantastic," the succubus agreed, snickering while high-fiving the smaller woman.

"I know!" Kenzi nodded enthusiastically. She sighed happily and collapsed against the back of the chair.

"So how did that fae meeting thing go with Trick?" she asked Bo, who visibly slumped and rolled her eyes hard at the question.

"It was just some bullshit about which royal fae to invite to the wedding. Apparently, I don't actually get a say," she replied, her voice bitter. Kenzi looked at her confused.

"But it's _your_ wedding…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore than she did at the bar earlier in the day. Bo only shrugged and laid her head on the table, groaning petulantly.

"Being important sucks," she mumbled making Kenzi giggle.

"Can't say I've got that problem," she teased, rubbing her friends back comfortingly.

"I need a drink," Bo announced before rising from her seat. She looked at Kenzi.

"Do you want…what am I saying? Of course you do," she shook her head at herself and kissed Kenzi's cheek before leaving the kitchen in search of alcohol.

Kenzi watched her go with slightly furrowed eyes. The more time she spent with Bo, and by extension, Dyson, Trick, and the fae, the stronger the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach grew. She made a mental note to _definitely_ take a chance on that cottage.


	3. Bang, Bang

Chapter Three

"Bang, Bang"

* * *

(November 1917)

"_So, whooooo's…that?" Bo asked giggling and pointing at a random fae. She had been tagging along with the mysterious blonde for the last hour, and was on what she vaguely guessed was her fourth drink. Suffice to say, she was a bit tipsy at this point. _

_ "Miss McCorrigan! It's rude to point," the pretty waitress admonished, the smile on her face betraying her attempt to appear serious. She gripped Bo's wrist gently and brought it down. Bo only smiled at her knowingly._

_ "Well, who is it?" she asked again, nudging the blonde gently with her elbow. _

_ "I don't actually know. I don't know too many of these people if I'm being perfectly honest," the waitress replied with a shrug, trying to disguise the small blush on her face. Bo gave her a mock look of horror._

_ "It seems that you've acquired my company under false pretenses," the succubus teased. _

_ "I never actually claimed to know all that much about anyone in this room, Miss," the blonde retorted dryly, eyes sparkling with humor. Bo didn't think she could smile any wider. Her eyes turned serious._

_ "Do you get a break? Like a smoke break or anything?" she asked curiously. The waitress nodded._

_ "I'm actually due for mine in about-" she glanced at her watch, "ten minutes."_

_She narrowed her eyes at Bo playfully._

_ "Why are you asking?" _

_Bo suddenly felt nervous. She gripped her glass a bit tighter but went for it._

_ "I thought we could maybe talk…alone…or something," she suggested, silently congratulating herself on not stuttering too much. Hell, she was just happy she got the words out. Her high spirits stilled when the blonde stared silently at her for a moment. Bo swallowed nervously and reminded herself to breathe._

_ "Sure," the waitress finally answered. She smirked when Bo visibly exhaled in relief. _

_ "Okay," the succubus breathed out, voice soft. The two stood still and silent for a moment, not registering anything outside of each others presence. Bo licked her lips and leaned in, eyes slightly hooded and cheeks tinged pink from the alcohol._

_ "You can call me Bo by the way," she told the blonde huskily. As attractive as her formal surname sounded when coming from the other woman's lips, Bo wanted to forget the fae pretentiousness for a bit. She was awarded with a crooked smile from the waitress, who unconsciously leaned into Bo as well._

_ "Well, so far it's been a pleasure to meet you, Bo-by-the-way," she joked lightly, gently grasping the empty glass from Bo's hand and setting it next to a few similarly empty glasses and flutes on the tray she was holding. _

_ "I'm going to take these to the kitchen. That door back there-" she motioned with a jerk of her head toward the back of the large and lavish ballroom "-leads to the stairs to the roof. See you in five?" She asked the succubus with a sudden air of shyness that made Bo's eyes soften._

_ "Absolutely," Bo grinned._

_ No more than five minutes later, the two slipped out of the door and started up the stairs quickly. Bo, not knowing the layout of the building, let the waitress lead the way. _

_ "There's actually a really beautiful garden up here," Bo heard the blonde tell her. _

_ "Do you come up here a lot?" she asked curiously. _

_ "It's a good spot to smoke, and the view of Toronto is gorgeous," the waitress answered before stopping at another door. Bo's eyes widened in surprise when the blonde reached into her back pocket, pulled out a bobby pin, and quickly picked the lock on the door. Hearing the tell-tale click, she put the pin back in her pocket and turned to face Bo._

_ "You didn't see that," she joked, winking good naturedly. Bo grinned. She was not expecting that, but it was incredibly…attractive? _

_ "Come on," the blonde's voice cut through her ogling. The two walked onto the roof and after closing the door and relocking it, settled on a small bench facing the earlier mentioned garden._

_ "Wow," Bo breathed out dreamily. The waitress hadn't been lying-the view of the city lights was definitely breathtaking from their vantage point. _

_ "Yeah. It's quite a sight," the blonde agreed with a smile. Bo turned her gaze onto the other woman thoughtfully._

_ "You know, you still haven't told me your name," she commented. Her companion smiled wider in amusement before holding her hand out playfully for Bo to shake._

_ "I'm Lauren," she introduced herself softly._

* * *

(Present Time)

"Seriously though, do you or do you _not_ secretly like the taste of dog kibble?"

Bo's eyes widened comically as she slapped a hand over her mouth in an effort to stifle the sudden burst of laughter she could feel breaking through. She looked across the table, across the silk tablecloth (that she loathed, thinking it obnoxious to use such an expensive fabric as a huge glorified napkin) and the spread of light-but-fancy food. Kenzi, who had directed the question to none other than Dyson, was leaning back in her chair, wine glass in hand. The wolf in question looked annoyed but remained collected. He smiled tightly at the human before turning to Hale, who was seated to his right.

Bo had woken up in the early morning to the sound of Dyson's merry whistling in the shower. It was only then that she remembered the group lunch that was happening at their house at noon. For whatever reason, Dyson seemed to really enjoy these "meetings" as he and Trick called them. She didn't really know why, since they usually resulted in nothing but completely blackened ashtrays, empty gin bottles, and maybe a drunken argument or two.

Bo herself didn't really care for them, preferring to talk about official fae bullshit only when absolutely necessary. She sat in her chair with her legs crossed, a little bored. Her cheeks felt pleasantly warm from the two screwdrivers she had already knocked back, her third clutched in her hand, ice glistening. She took in the people at her table silently.

Dyson sat at one end of the slightly rectangular table, Bo at his right on the longer side and Hale at his left. Kenzi sat next to Bo with Evony directly across from the her. Trick took up the other end of the table. Bo had to stifle a smile upon seeing the older man lightly puffing on a cigarette. She noticed that he only seemed to care for them when he was trying to look important.

"Do you not have a staff of any kind? My drink has been bone dry for the last five minutes."

Bo looked up from her staring contest with Trick's Marlboro Red and turned her head toward the voice. Evony Marquise, infamous leader of the Dark and all around sociopath with colossally expensive clothes, was leaning back in her seat looking the epitome of unimpressed. Her cigarette smoldered in her hand as she lazily gripped an empty glass in her other. Bo only barely stopped the oncoming rolling of her eyes. She didn't want to make a scene-she didn't have the emotional stability for that these days-but she also didn't really want Evony there in the first place. The woman just seemed to ooze underhandedness and it made Bo severely uncomfortable.

"We don't have a butler or a maid if that's what you mean," she answered flatly. Dyson chuckled superficially from across the table and chimed in.

"Well, we did. But Bo insisted that it was wasteful so we got rid of them," he shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. When Bo had mentioned wanting to get rid of the staff, Dyson had been annoyed. He hadn't understood her issue with them, not even after they fought about it for the greater part of a night. She had told him that having a staff of enslaved humans at her and Dyson's beck and call made her more than a little sick, and that if they didn't go then she would. To this day Dyson didn't know if she had been serious about leaving, but he hadn't been willing to chance it at the time, so the staff had been relocated to another place.

"I'll top you up. Gin and tonic, was it?" Bo asked barely cordially. She was starting to feel a little restless, so she jumped at the chance to leave the table for a bit.

Evony tilted her head and arched an eyebrow at the succubus.

"You're a doll," the Dark leader purred sarcastically. Bo only smiled tightly before turning and walking straight out of the large open room.

"Your fiancé seems a bit out of her league, Dyson," Evony commented once Bo was out of earshot. Dyson bristled slightly at the unexpected comment. Before he had a chance to retort, Trick cut in.

"Ysabeau is just having some trouble assimilating to how the fae do things. She'll learn in time," the small King assured the woman. From across the table, Kenzi narrowed her eyes at him but remained silent. Truth be told, she really, _really_ didn't want to be at this weird fae circle jerk. She only showed up to support Bo, who didn't seem to be getting any less angsty as time slowly went on.

"Really? Because bringing her pet human to this meeting indicates progress?" Evony asked in amusement. For a man revered as the great and oh so wise Blood King, Trick could really spout some complete bullshit. And if there was one thing Evony prided herself on, it was being able to see right through people. And what she saw as she looked right through Trick was delicious-he was trying so hard to get through to his granddaughter and he was _failing_. She didn't know if the King knew it yet, but whatever stake he had in making sure Bo behaved like a good little fae was in a very precarious position.

"I'm not her pet, but if you want me to bite, I definitely will," Kenzi retorted in irritation. Evony only looked the small goth up and down with a smug smirk.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Miss Belkov," she replied, smirk morphing into a poisonous smile.

"Trust me, that's one she'll keep," Bo's voice floated in as she sauntered toward the table with a drink in each hand. She set a gin and tonic down in front of Evony, not without a subtle glare. After setting the other glass-a bloody mary- in front of Kenzi, she sat back down. Sipping her now watered down screwdriver, Bo simply sat and listened half-heartedly as the fae discussed one thing or another. Politics were never her favorite thing, but the fae really seemed to go out of their way to make everything as tedious and dramatic as utterly possible.

It wasn't until a half hour later that she was pulled from her daydreaming by Kenzi mentioning something about…something. She focused.

"So I went to look at the place, and it was the bee's knees. I'm in the process of buying," Kenzi spoke casually to Hale, who looked genuinely happy for the girl.

"Are you talking about that little cottage you mentioned?" Bo asked with a small smile. Kenzi nodded happily and sipped her bloody mary.

"Mmmm-and the best part is my neighbor-well, future neighbor-is totally loaded and not a snobby egg. She's even got a pool!" She revealed with a sly wink to her bestie. Bo grinned wider at the girl and threw her arm around her shoulders to drag her in for a brief but affectionate kiss to the cheek.

"I'm glad you found a place you like," she spoke honestly before releasing Kenzi and returning her arm to her side to pick up her drink.

"This neighbor. What's his name?" Dyson asked curiously.

"It's a _she_, Lassie. Her last name is Lewis," Kenzi answered him with a shrug.

Bo choked on her mouthful of screwdriver and dropped the glass, not registering the loud noise it made when it clanked onto her expensive China plate.

_Her last name is Lewis._

Dyson immediately laid a gentle hand on her back in alarm and Trick spoke up, concern evident in his words.

"Ysabeau, are you alright?" he questioned. Bo whipped her head toward him nodding and waving her hand dismissively.

"Uh. Yeah. Just went down the wrong pipe or something," she muttered before wiping her mouth with a napkin. She quickly out her arms down after noticing that she was shaking slightly.

_ Her last name is Lewis._

Kenzi's words rang through her ears and filled her head, making her swallow thickly. It couldn't be. Not now. Not _yet_. She grunted quietly in an attempt to ease the sudden pressure she felt on her chest. It wasn't working.

"L-Lewis you said?" she ground out. Dyson looked at her curiously but didn't comment. His hand left her back slowly once he was sure she wasn't in any serious condition. Kenzi looked a little bewildered at Bo's reaction and nodded cautiously.

"What was, um, what was her first name?" Bo questioned further. Kenzi shrugged.

"Dunno. She didn't tell me. I only got her last name from the carving on her fancy lighter,"

No later than one millisecond after the last word left Kenzi's lips did Bo feel her stomach drop and her throat tighten. She swallowed again desperately before standing on shaky legs and delivering a miraculously steady excuse to leave the table.

"Congrats, Kenz. Can you guys excuse me for a jiffy? This vodka isn't agreeing with me today. I'll be right back."

And without a single glance at anyone directly, Bo turned and fled the room for the second time that day.

* * *

[May 1918]

"_Whatcha diggin' for?" Bo asked, though she already knew the answer. Her and Lauren had been together for almost six months now. Thus, Bo had noticed that while she enjoyed it when she did, Lauren didn't smoke a whole lot. When she did however, she always had trouble finding her cheap Bic lighters that she seemed to buy too often. Bo had noticed this recently and decided to surprise her. The two were currently sitting under a tree in a park near Bo's neighborhood, about to share a cigarette and enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun that was keeping them slow moving and relaxed.. They sat cross-legged facing each other, giving Bo the pleasant feeling of being back in grade school._

"_A lighter. I'm always losing them it seems," Lauren mumbled while rifling through her jacket pockets. Bo watched her with a crooked smile. She quietly reached into her own coat pocket and wrapped her fingers around cool metal._

"_I know you are," she spoke softly, giggling at her girlfriend affectionately. She gently grasped Lauren's wrist with one hand pulled it from it's place in the woman's jacket. Lauren looked on as Bo placed a shiny, authentic silver Zippo in the palm of her hand._

"_Here," the brunette told her. Lauren felt the corners of her lips tug upwards as she studied the pricey lighter. She turned it over, seeing that it was engraved:_

_**Lewis**_

_She looked back up at Bo who looked both nervous and proud. The duality endeared her._

"_You got this for me?" she asked, smile growing by second. Bo nodded._

"_I figured you wouldn't lose this one," the succubus teased the blonde. Lauren rolled her eyes playfully before she leaned in and kissed Bo softly._

"_I definitely won't."_

The memory-which was still as clear in her brain as if it had happened mere minutes ago- washed over Bo so completely that she found herself clenching her jaw and breathing in short, harsh bursts through her nose. She let her legs carry her to her upstairs bathroom where she deftly shut and locked the door. She stood still for just a moment, one arm wrapped around herself and a hand covering her mouth in an effort to keep her emotions in. It wasn't working, and seconds later Bo was retching into the toilet. After throwing up all of the alcohol and the few things she had eaten, she sagged against the claw foot tub to her right and allowed herself to sob quietly.

* * *

Kenzi walked briskly through the house looking for her best friend. Shortly after Bo had disappeared-Kenzi guessed it to be fifteen minutes-the remaining fae at the table had wrapped up whatever it was that they had gathered to bitch about-Kenzi didn't remember, nor did she care- and while the four were saying their goodbyes the small bootlegger had shot off to find Bo.

She quickly concluded that Bo wasn't on the first floor. Sighing, she made her way up the stairs. Kenzi figured she should first check the quiet study where she had found Bo drunkenly reading that strange letter. Popping her head in the door, she didn't see the succubus. Furrowing her brows, she shut the door. Facing the end of the hallway, she sighed.

"Bo?" She called out hopefully.

Nothing.

"Bo, I know you're not-AH!" She yelped suddenly when a hand came down to rest on her arm. Whipping around quickly and with a fist raised, she was met with a slightly afraid looking Bo.

"Whoa there. I know the company was shit, but you don't hafta slug me," the taller brunette joked weakly. Her hands were raised in mock surrender, making Kenzi roll her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked with clear concern. Bo's strange behavior during lunch had thrown her for a loop-she didn't know what the hell was going on with Bo these days.

"Yeah. The drinks just didn't settle. I'm fine," Bo answered blankly. Kenzi narrowed her eyes in disbelief. Taking in Bo's puffy eyes, rigid posture, and slightly ruined make up, Kenzi decided she wasn't buying Bo's bullshit response.

"Really, Bo? You do remember that I've known you for like forever right?" Kenzi retorted, though not unkindly.

"Seriously, you can talk to me," she continued with a softer tone.

Bo felt legitimate comfort at her best friend's words. Despite this however, she resisted the vague urge to confide in Kenzi. She knew that if she did, she'd most likely break down completely. Not ready to face her own turmoil, she did what she seemed to do best these days. She avoided.

"I know I can. And I'm sorry about leaving you back there, I just…" she swallowed and took a breath before continuing.

"I'm not great with these fae hangouts, I guess. And Trick is still being an ass about the wedding and I'm just stressed out. But really, I'm okay," she finished with a small but convincing smile. Kenzi studied Bo's face for a moment, as if she was searching for some sort of sign. When she found nothing, she sighed.

"I'm worried about you," she admitted seriously. Bo smiled a bit wider to convince Kenzi that all was well-at least in this moment-and could almost physically feel the suffocating desire for this conversation to be over. She leaned in and pecked Kenzi on the cheek.

"Don't be. Now come on, let's eat some real food," she calmly suggested. Seeing Kenzi nod in response, Bo walked around her and headed off to the kitchen. Before following her best friend, Kenzi hesitated a moment in the hall. She wasn't buying Bo's 'really everything is dandy' act.

"This isn't over, Bow-ster," she mumbled to herself, a fierce determination settling into her very bones.

* * *

The morning after the odd spectacle that was Bo and Dyson's fae "meeting", Kenzi had driven up to the cottage to take some measurements-the place was mostly already suited to her liking, but the carpet had to go-and had decided on visiting her blonde smoke buddy after she had finished. She fidgeted a little in her spot in front of the lovely brownstone, not unlike when she first saw Bo's lavish mansion. She didn't know if she'd be welcome. Granted, the last time she had encountered this Lewis woman it had been pleasant. More than pleasant, really. But Kenzi knew how rich folk operated. Generally speaking, they were seldom genuine but often temperamental. For all she knew, the blonde would see her and call the authorities.

_Fuck it, I'm already here anyway, _she thought.

She knocked. Seconds passed before a familiar voice called out through the heavy oak double doors.

"Coming!" Several more seconds passed before one of the doors opened with a flourish.

"Oh. Hello, Kenzi," The blonde greeted her with a kind smile. Kenzi took a quick second to observe the blonde and noticed that she looked just as normal as she did the last time they had interacted-she was even wearing the same brown leather jacket. For whatever reason, it made Kenzi's fondness for this stranger-well, semi stranger-grow just the slightest bit. The young brunette smiled back before speaking.

"Hiya, Lewis. So I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I'd stop by and introduce myself," Kenzi vaguely. She grinned internally when Lewis' faced changed to one of confusion.

"Sorry? What do you mean?" she asked. Kenzi clapped her hands together in excitement.

"I am officially your new neighbor! How's that for ya, blondie?" she told the blonde who in turn smiled brightly, honestly happy for the younger woman on her doorstep.

"Ah, so you picked the cottage? Congratulations, Kenzi," she said happily. She quickly eased her door open further in invitation.

"You're more than welcome to come in. I just put some coffee on," she offered charmingly. Kenzi grinned and nodded emphatically.

"You're speakin' my language, lady," she winked before stepping inside. She scanned what parts of the house she could see from her spot in front of the door. It wasn't what she expected-with the tan leather couches and love seats, the off white walls, the numerous plants sitting in random places-but Kenzi decided at once that she kind of liked it. While it was undoubtedly swanky, it lacked the bombast of Bo and Dyson's home. Everything was fairly understated, and so her eyes weren't bombarded with pricey statues or obnoxiously bold colors or an unnaturally shiny floor. It was refreshing to say the least.

"So when are you moving in?" she heard the blonde ask curiously. The two had made their way into the kitchen, which as Kenzi suspected, was just as simple and toned down as the living area. Kenzi sat at the small dining table while her host stood at the counter pouring coffee into a pair of mismatched ceramic mugs. Kenzi inhaled deeply before answering, leisurely savoring the aroma of expensive coffee.

"If all goes well, I should be annoying all you rich folk by next week," the small brunette winked, taking the coffee that was now being offered to her.

"You don't annoy me in the slightest, Kenzi. Sorry," Lewis smiled teasingly. Kenzi narrowed her eyes on response, muttering faux-angrily.

"Why I oughta-"

"Drink your coffee before it cools?" the blonde cut in, cheeky grin painted on her face. Kenzi grinned and waved the comment off, though she did take a healthy drink of her beloved caffeine. A loud moan of appreciation escaped her. The blonde arched an eyebrow at her, quite amused with the younger woman.

"That…is really fucking good. You eggs can be real wet blankets but I must admit, you have great food," she sighed contentedly after explaining.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, Kenzi."

Quickly, the small brunette straightened in her chair with a curious and vaguely excited gleam in her eyes. She leaned in slightly, unconsciously, and eyed her company. After a brief assessment, she spoke.

"So, how'd you get so rich? Because, no offense, but you don't really fit in with any of the money grabbers that I've met," she asked bluntly, genuinely curious about her new neighbor. The woman was obviously loaded, but Kenzi had a feeling that there was a story there. She watched as Lewis kept her eyes on her own mug.

"I couldn't take offense if I tried," she replied lightly but evasively. Seeing that Kenzi wasn't going to reply and was instead waiting for her to continue, she shrugged in a non-committal way.

"Inheritance, remember?" she asked Kenzi, referring to what she had told the girl the first time they met. Kenzi leaned back, crossing her arms across her chest. She didn't seem threatening, just a little skeptical. She decided that although she had a feeling about her and her lack of explanation, she herself didn't know this woman well enough to dig further.

"Okay, I'll accept that for now," Kenzi half-joked. She continued.

"Where'd you live before you _inherited_ this mansion?" she asked. The taller woman finally lifted her eyes to Kenzi's.

"Well, I've only been living in this particular house for about two months. Before that, I was a bit of a…drifter, I suppose. What about you?"

Kenzi furrowed her brows slightly at the evasive nature of her answer, but again refrained from acknowledging it even as she felt the curiosity clawing at her throat.

"I'm from Toronto, born and raised," Kenzi admitted proudly.

"Toronto…" the other woman trailed off, tone almost wistful.

"You been?" Kenzi asked excitedly.

"Years ago," Lewis shrugged, eyes soft and almost…sad? Kenzi almost groaned. This 'not being nosy' shit would be the death of her, of that she was sure. Hearing the blonde's voice, she focused again.

"What made you come out here to New York? If you don't mind me asking."

"You're fine. I guess I just needed a new start, you know? Things change, life happens. All that jazz," Kenzi shrugged casually. She kept her answers vague, staying in line with the overall feel of the conversation.

The pair went on talking for the better part of an hour, drinking the rest of the coffee and sneaking in a smoke or two. They talked about random things, from the weather to their favorite liquors. Kenzi especially enjoyed the blonde's commentary on some of the more uppity West Egg residents. She had snorted mid drink when she heard Lewis refer to one of the more eccentric residents-some guy named Taft-as "alarmingly dead behind the eyes". Eventually, Kenzi realized that she should head back to Bo's place. She had a best friend to figure out, after all. The young bootlegger was now standing by the front door, saying her goodbyes.

"This was actually pretty fun, blondie. I've gotta say, you're looking like a pretty great neighbor," she winked at the taller woman.

"Anyway, I should head out. Bo gets cranky when she doesn't have me around to eat all of the leftovers," Kenzi continued. She was about to turn away when she abruptly caught sight of Lewis' face go quite pale.

"Sorry, did you say Bo?" she asked Kenzi, her steady tone contrasting with her intrigued expression. Kenzi furrowed her brow but smiled anyway-if only to cover up her own maddening interest in the taller woman's reaction to hearing her best friends name.

"Yeah, short for Ysabeau McCorrigan. She's my best friend. I've been staying with her while I looked for a place. Do you know her or something?" she asked.

"I, uh, well…I _did_, yes." Lewis stuttered out lamely. Kenzi arched a brow, and cocked her head. This was getting weirder by the second. First, Bo having some kind of breakdown at lunch yesterday, and now Lewis being…whatever the hell this was.

"You're gonna have to give me more than that, Legs."

"Legs?"

"It's pretty self-explanatory, I'd say."

The blonde shook her head, wanting to get back to the topic of Bo. Or at least, she thought she did. She wasn't really sure anymore, since Bo had yet to reply to the last letter she had sent in the post. It had been almost two months, and not a word. It hurt, to say the least. But here she was, being presented with a chance to see the brunette again. To see that _smile_. So as she stood there, in Kenzi's presence, she just knew.

Fate itself seemed to be bringing her back to Bo, but whether it was to break her heart or fulfill it again, she didn't know. But she'd be damned if she wasn't going to find out.

"Listen, Kenzi, can you do me a favor?"


End file.
